Kremlin: Lavrov Actively Working as Russia's Foreign Minister Despite False Reports

The Kremlin said on Monday that Sergei Lavrov was working actively as Russia's foreign minister and suggested that people ignore Western media speculation that he may have fallen out of favor with President Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov, 75, a veteran Soviet-era diplomat known for his robust negotiating style, was absent from a big Kremlin meeting last week that he would typically attend, and Putin chose someone else to attend a G20 summit in South Africa later this month, a role that Lavrov has filled in the past.

The Kremlin on Friday dismissed speculation that Lavrov had fallen out of favor with Putinm however, after efforts to organize a summit between the Russian president and Donald Trump were put on ice last month.